Valve retainer



June 7, 1932. v, sc o z w 1,862,283

VALVE RETAINER Filed March 30, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 7, 1932 VICTOR P. SGHOETZOW, F MARCELLUS, MICHIGAN VALVE RETAINER Application filed March 30, 1931.

This invention relates to a valve spring retainer for an internal combustion engine, and has for its principal object the provision of a valve spring retainer that is easy to assemble and dis-assemble, is exceptionally strong and rigid,.and is so constructed that once it has been locked on the valve stem, it will not be dislodged by the action of the valve during operation of the engine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a valve spring retainer comprising,

a pair of mating diskmembers each of which may be stamped out of sheet metal at a single operation.

if; It is also an object to provide a valve spring In the drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to the valve mechanism of an internal combustion engine. Certain conventional parts of the engine being shown to more clearly illustrate the application of the invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 2, showing a section of a detail of the device.

Figure 1 is aview similar to Figure 2 but showing one of the component parts of the device rotated through an angle of 180 from T the position shown in Figure 2.

Serial No. 526,381.

Figure 5 is a view similar to the view of the device asshown in Figure 1, but on an enlarged scale and showing the component parts of the device separated and one of them rotated through an angle of 180 from the relative position of the parts as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view similar to the View shown in Figure 1 but on a somewhat enlarged scale and showing a modified form of the device.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a valve port structure A carrying a valve guide B, in which is slidably mounted the stem of a valve C. In the lower end of the stem of the valve G, is an elongated annular groove 5 terminated by a radial flange 6 at the lower end thereof. Between the valve port and the lower end of the valve stem, is the valve spring D, the lower end of which is supported opposite theannular groove 5. Below the valve stem is a valve tappet E adjustably mounted in the push rod F which is slidably carried in the guide G. The push rod F has an enlarged lower end which rests upon the cam H.

The structure so far described is purely conventional and forms no part of the invention for the subject matter of this application.

Mounted upon the valve stem about the 75 annular groove 5 and supporting the lower end of the spring D, is a valve spring retainer generally indicated at 10. This valve spring retainer 10 comprises two separable disk members 11 and 12, each disk member being in the. form of a truncated cone, the base of which is surrounded by a radial flange. The disk member 11 is formed with a peripheral axial flange 15, interiorly of which is a concentric tapered flange 16, the lower ends of the flanges 15 and 16 being connected by a radial web portion 18 to form an annular groove which serves as a seat for the lower end of the valve spring D. Inwardly of the tapered flange 16 and on the side thereof opposite the radial web portion 18, the disk member 11 is formed with an integral flat web portion 19, which is pro vided eccentrically thereof with a circular aperture 20 having a diameter slightly larger than the cross sectional diameter of the valve stem. A portion of the material struck out of the web portion 19 to form the aperture 20 is bent downwardly at right angles to the web portion on the inner side of the aperture to form a depending tongue 22 which is semi-cylindrical in shape and has an interior diameter approximately equal to the diameter of that portion of the valve stem in which is formed the annular groove The lower disk member 12 is formed with an outer radial web 25 having the same diametrical dimensions as the radial web 18 on the disk member 11, and adapted to form a hearing seat for the radial portion 18. Interiorly of the radial web 25, the disk member 1.2 is formed with a tapered flange portion 26 of such a diameter as to be telescopically insertable within the tapered flange portion 16 of the disk member 11. Inwardly of the tapered flange portion 26 and at the side thereof opposite the radial web 25, the disk member 12 is formed with an integral fiat web portion 27 having eccentrically therein an aperture 28 of such a dimension as to permit the end of the valve stem to pass the-rethrough. A portion of the material struck out to term the aperture 28, is bent downwardly at right angles to the web 27 on the inner side of the aperture to form the depending tongue 29, which is semi-cylindrical in form and has a diameter approximately the same as the diameter of that portion of the valve stem wherein is formed the annular groove 5.

From an inspection of Figure 4:, it will be observed that the semi-cylindrical tongue portions 22 and 29 he at one side of the apertures 20 and 28 respectively, and are centered about the centers of the disks 11 and 12 respectively.

From an inspection of Figure 5, it will be observed that the depending tongue 22 on the disk 11 is longer than the depending tongue 29 on the disk 12 by the thickness ot the material of which the disk 11 is formed.

Struck out of the radial portion 18 of the disk 11 there is a small detent 28, and provided in the radial web 25 of the disk 12 is a small. radial slot 30 slightly larger than the detent on the radial portion 18 01 the disk 11.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the disk members 11 an d 12 are exactly the same as the disk members 11 and 12 as shown in Figure 5 and described above, except that the depending tongues 22 and 29 are flared outwardly at the bottom in order to fit upon the conically shaped lower end of a modified form of valve stem commonly known as the mushroom type of valve stem. 7

In assembling the device, the spring D is inserted over the valve stem, the disk member 11 is then positioned by passing the aperture 20 over the lower end of the valve stem and forcing the disk upwardly against the pressure of the valve spring. The disk member 12 is then positioned by passing the aperture 28 over the lower end of the valve stem, the disk being held in such a position that the depending tongue 29 is in axial alignment with the depending tongue 22 of the disk member 11. When the disk member 12 has been raised to such a position that the depending tongue is opposite the annular groove 5 in the lower end of the valve stem, the disk 12 is rotated to place the depending tongue 29 on the op posite side of the valve stem from the depending tongue 22. The disk member 11 is then lowered until the tapered flange portion 16 telescopes over the tapered flange 26 of the disk member 12, and the radial web 18 of the disk member 11 rests upon the radial web 25 of the disk member 12. In this position the depending tongues 22 and 29 will be drawn together to form a split sleeve fitting closely about the groove portion 5 of the valve stem and having their lower ends resting upon the shoulder formed by the flange 6' at the lower end of the annular groove. The detent 23 will then fit into the radial slot 30 to restrain the disk members from rotation relative to each other.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the depending tongues 22' and 29 firmly embrace the tapered sides of the conical end of the valve stem when the disk members are placed in operative position as described above.

While I have illustrated a preferred form in which the invention may be practically applied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular form and such changes in the structure and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valve spring retainer comprising, two mating disks each disk having an aperture eccentrically formed therein, said apertures being in axial alignment in one relative position of said disks, and said aperture in each disk being partly overlapped by said other disk in a different relative position of said disks.

2. A valve spring retainer comprising, two mating disks each disk having an aperture eccentrically formed therein, a portion of one of said disks being telescopically insertable in a portion of the other of said disks, said apertures being in axial alignment in one relative position of said disks and being partly over-lapped in another position of said disks when said disks are telescopically associated.

3. In combination with a poppet valve ha ving a stem and a valve spring therefor, of a valve spring retainer comprising, a pair of relatively rotatable mating disks adapted in one position of relative rotation to look about said valve stem and provide a seat for said valve spring.

4. In combination with a poppet valve having a stem and a valve spring therefor, of a valve spring retainer comprising, a pair of mating disks, one of said disks having a tapered part adapted to telescopically receive a tapered part of the other of said disks, said first named disk having a part providing a seat for said valve spring, and both of said disks having semi-cylindrical parts adapted to firmly embrace the valve stem when the disks are in operative position.

5. In combination with a poppet valve hav- I Signed by me at South Bend, Indiana, this.

27th day of March, 1931.

VICTOR P. SCHOETZOW.

ing a stem provided with an annular groove in the lower end thereof and a valve spring surrounding said stem, of a valve spring retainer comprising, a pair of mating disks, one of said disks having a part adapted to telescopically receive a part of the other of said disks, said first named disk having a part providing a seat for said valve spring, and both of said disks having apertures to surround said valve stem, and semi-cylindrical depending portions to firmly embrace the groove portion of said valve stem when said disks are in operative position.

6. In combination with a poppet valve having a stem provided with an annular groove in the lower end thereof and a valve spring surrounding said stem, of a valve spring retainer comprising, a pair of mating disks each having an aperture eccentrically formed therein, one of said disks having a portion providing a seat for said valve spring, each disk being adapted to be passed over the end of said valve stem in one relative position of said disks, and each of said disks having a depending portion adapted to contact with opposite sides of said grooved portion of said valve stem in a diiferent relative position of said disks.

7. In a combination with a poppet valve having a stem provided with an annular groove in the lower end thereof and a valve spring surrounding said stem, of a valve spring retainer comprising, a pair of mating disks, one of said disks being provided with a conical portion surrounded by an annular web forming a seat for said spring, the other of said disks being provided with a conical portion telescopically receivable in the conical portion of said first named disk, both of said disks being provided with valve stem receiving apertures located eccentrically thereof and depending semi-cylindrical tongues at the inner side of said apertures, said tongues being adapted to form a split sleeve closely embracing the grooved portion of said valve stem when the disks are posi- 

